


Unbalanced

by Babyphd



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:07:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28723344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babyphd/pseuds/Babyphd
Summary: Jed tries to balance his checkbook but can't.
Relationships: Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Unbalanced

“Abbey, what checks have you written out of our personal account this last month and not put in the register?”

“What?”

“I said…”

“I know what you said.” Abbey looked up from the book she was reading as she laid on the bed. It had been a long week and she had been looking forward to a quiet Friday night.

“I have two checks missing from the check register last month, numbers 3067 and 3085. And I know I haven’t written any. So you must have.” He looked over at his wife.

It was relaxing for Jed to balance their personal checking account each month, especially since they had come to Washington. He sure as hell couldn’t balance the nation’s budget but he loved doing his own. He had always done it since they had been married and got a kick out of making sure everything was accounted for down to the last penny.

“I told you I haven’t written any checks this past month. Now let me read.” She went back to her book. It was the latest crime thriller by John Grisham and she was about to find out who had killed the shady drug dealer.

Jed got up from the desk and took the checkbook over to the bed. “See, these checks are missing. Check 3067 was written about the third of the month and 3085 apparently was written sometime around the 16th. The missing amount totals $350.00.”

Abbey sighed and put down her book. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to finish her book until Jed was satisfied. “Okay. Let me look. Oh, yeah, now I remember. Check 3066 was written to Liz for Girl Scout cookies and…”

“Girl Scout cookies…?! I never saw any Girl Scout cookies in the kitchen.”

Abbey smiled at her husband. “And you never will. I bought them and had them donated to the overseas troops. None will ever be seen in this house.”

“Damn!”

“Anyway. I remember writing check 3068 to Zoey for cash. She needed $500 for spending money.”

“$500 for spending money? Does that girl think money grows on trees?”

“Jed, she’s at college. There’s all sorts of expenses a girl has at college. You just don’t understand. Now, check 3084 I wrote to Ellie to buy a book she needed for a class. That cost $300.”

“What! $300 for a damn book?”

“Jed, medical books are very expensive these days.”

“Couldn’t she share a book or something?”

Abbey just stared at her husband, not dignifying his response with an answer. After a brief silence, she continued. “And check 3086, let me think a minute…oh yeah, I made a donation to the Salvation Army for their food drive in Manchester. I think it was $250.00. I couldn’t very well give them actual cans from the White House kitchen.”

“What about the other two checks?”

Abbey had had enough. “Jed, if I could remember those four and not the other two, don’t you think I didn’t write the other two? Check with Charlie in the morning. Now let me get back to my book.” She pulled the book back up and started reading again.

Jed looked at her, somewhat frustrated, and then stood up to leave. “By the way, the mayor killed the drug dealer.”

“JOSIAH BARTLET!” and threw the book at her husband.

The next morning Jed cornered his personal aide first thing. “Charlie, I was trying to balance my checkbook last night and…”

Charlie tried but failed to keep the grin off his face. “Yes, Mr. President?”

“Watch that grin, young man. I have a number of places I can send you.”

“Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir.”

“That’s better. Anyway, I have two checks missing from my checkbook and Abbey swears she didn’t write them. I think she did but she thinks I did. Do you know anything about check number 3067 that was written about the third of the month and 3085 that apparently was written sometime around the 16th. The missing amount totals $350.00.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Well, tell me. Don’t keep me in suspense. And what authority do you have for writing checks from my personal account?”

“Sir, you asked me to get you some money for the staff poker games those nights and gave me checks to get them cashed. You wrote them out from the checkbook you keep in your desk drawer.”

“I did?” Jed leaned his head in confusion.

“Yes, Sir. I believe, if you open that top right drawer, you will find your second listing of checks you write in the Oval that you usually transfer to the main checkbook upstairs.”

Jed reached into the drawer in question and indeed, pulled out the listing for the previous month and his list for the previous month had only those two checks listed.

“Uh, oh.”

“What’s wrong, Sir?”

“Charlie, do you have the name of a good florist? I owe someone a big apology.”

THE END


End file.
